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Lauren’s Lyrical Limbo: Wuthering Heights and “Sick of Losing Soulmates”

Hello all! My name is Lauren Lotarski and I am here to write about literature and songs, but it is not as simple as it sounds. See, I have this large playlist I have been cumulating for about two years now (I am definitely the type of person who just maintains one playlist over time rather than creating new ones. I have been told this is weird, but alas, I cannot comprehend organizing more than one set of songs). My main objective of this playlist was to bring together some songs that all gave me a similar calming vibe that could help me destress, and generally have slower, nicer sounds that I could calmly breath along to; I call it “Eden” (This is heavily contradictory to many of the songs included, but that is besides the point). Anyways, a lot of these songs have come to me through media I have indulged in over time, and when I listen to these songs, I get the happy feeling and thoughts I had while originally consuming it. Many of these mediums were books I was made to read in my classes, or books that became so much a part of me that I looked through every corner of the internet to find content that could bring me new, refreshing takes on already great material. And through this collection of music and emotions, I have concluded I have plenty of material to write a blog on, so here I am, and let us see where this goes together. I hope you see as much wonderment in these combinations as I do.

The first book I wanted to feature and focus on is one of my favorites, Wuthering Heights. Now, I am aware this is basically a classic amongst classics, but my literature teacher in high school really hyped up this book for my friends and I. We were not simply along for the wild ride – no, we were completely swept away by it. A point she really hammered home for us was that this is a story about soulmates. The first assignment we had for this unit was to draw Edgar and Heathcliff as two different slices of bread, because as she put it, “Edgar is a piece of dry, plain toast.” My friend and I ran with this concept all throughout the story and it left a lasting impression on us – we still rant about this book and reread it to this day. When I read the book the first time, I was just putting together some songs for the beginnings of “Eden” when I came across Dodie Clark’s “Sick of Losing Soulmates,” and it was simply perfect. When you delve into the lyrics, you can really imagine Heathcliff lamenting his troubles away about/towards Catherine. I think the song is fun to think about while imagining this as Heathcliff in Catherine’s grave rambling his sad angsty poetry like a madman. With that in mind, let us dive in… 

*MILD DISCLAIMER – Most all of these posts will go in-depth into the plot and revelations made throughout the stories, so obvious spoiler warnings for these as a whole. However, with many of these books being about a century old, you have had your time to read or not to read, that choice my dear reader is up to you. Maybe these analyses will finally convince you to give these classics a fair shot, and maybe not. Regardless, thanks for reading and please enjoy.

The first verse of the song is as follows: 

“What a strange being you are

God knows where I would be if you hadn’t found me

Sitting all alone in the dark

A dumb screenshot of youth

Watch how a cold broken teen will desperately lean

Upon a superglued human of proof”

The beginning of the song works extremely well with the first chronological events of Wuthering Heights. Here, it is easy to imagine a young Heathcliff coming to Wuthering Heights for the first time, and feeling as if he has been “found” for the first time in his life when meeting Catherine. It is made clear they were close and developed a strong, if not complex bond, thus demonstrating “a dumb screenshot of youth,” especially once they get older and have their giant blow-out before Heathcliff flees their home. Heathcliff is not scarce in his dramatic outbursts; he is constantly equated with the devil, having dark, mysterious features and being detached from the family due to his mysterious origins. He always had and forever would be sitting in the darkness by himself, always would remain the “cold broken teen” he was when he lost Catherine to someone else. The only times he was anything but lost or broken was when he was with Catherine – together they were whole. He leaned on those times and vowed vengeance when his time with Catherine was cut short.

The song continues:

“What the hell would I be without you? (What the hell would I be?)

Brave face, talk so lightly, hide the truth (Hide the truth)”

Somehow, it feels as though Heathcliff would be entirely different, yet entirely the same if he had never met Catherine. I think his overall temperament and harshness would have likely stuck, especially with his fated destiny being that of a devil-like figure. However, the passion in all of his actions lie within his passion for Catherine. He would still be the same without Catherine, but he would also be nothing, because Catherine made him everything, made him whole. They are quite literally soulmates in the mere orchestration of their relationship. It is all very dramatic stuff. So dramatic, in fact, that Heathcliff began going insane when nearing the last of his days, but only in secret. No one watches most of these moments as he laments to the ghosts that haunt him, most of these moments are reserved for his seclusion from all others but the image of his beloved. Therefore, he hides his true intentions in his schemes; he hides the true state of himself as he ages without his love; he hides behind his “brave face,” willing himself to one day be with Catherine again.

Next is the chorus, which really sends the whole point home about how this song is made for this story of two wayward souls:

“’Cause I’m sick of losing soulmates

So where do we begin?

I can finally see you’re as f*cked up as me

So how do we win?

Yeah, I’m sick of losing soulmates

Won’t be alone again

I can finally see you’re as f*cked up as me

So how do we win?”

In case you have not completely read or remember the events of this book, Heathcliff and Catherine are not exactly the most mentally sound characters in literature. I would not call this a “The Yellow Wallpaper” level of instability, but they definitely are not healthy or great people to be around, nor should they be parents. Essentially, I heard this chorus and thought to myself, “yeah, this song is for these two desperate lovebirds who are most definitely not stellar moral individuals.” However, while they did physically lose each other very early on in their lives, they are bound together indefinitely through a love that transcends levels of being. Heathcliff most definitely lost his way (to put it lightly), but they ultimately end up together again and prance off into the mist like a hellish, gothic fairytale ending. Heathcliff’s plan ultimately fails once he meets his fate, as there are still several children alive at the end, living happily against his best wished, but they win, and he gets to be with his soulmate forever in their ghostly eternity.

The second proper verse, while not exactly feeling as though it fits perfectly into their unhappy narrative, still works wonders for the nuance of the overarching story: 

“We will grow old as friends

I’ve promised that before, so what’s one more in our grey-haired circle, waiting for the end?

Time and hearts will wear us thin

So which path will you take, ’cause we both know a break does exactly what it says on the tin”

Now this verse takes a step back plot-wise. These lines seem to echo perhaps a conversation a young Heathcliff and Catherine would have before it all went wrong, promising to be together always. Alas, “time and hearts will wear [them] thin.” While destined for each other, they do not seem destined for a happy ending with each other as their relationship deteriorates and Heathcliff disappears, only to return to her on her death bed. This “break” he took broke them, and he sought to ensure retribution for the years lost forever in time, and the unjust ways in which their paths were forced to split.

The final unique section of this song is the bridge, which is honestly more ominous than anything in the context of Wuthering Heights, which at this rate is par for the course:

“I won’t take no for an answer (I won’t take no for an answer)

I won’t take no for an answer (I won’t take no for an answer)

I won’t take no (I won’t take no)

No, I won’t take no (I won’t take no)”

When put in Heathcliff’s point of view, “I won’t take no for an answer” can apply to almost anything and everything in his life. Once he loses Catherine, he becomes vengeful and calculated; he develops a plan to destroy all lives associated with Catherine. The only “no” he ever took was from Catherine herself – he allowed her to be swept away by Edgar as he fled the moors, in search of something to make him worth Catherine’s appeal. As he leads his scorched earth campaign through the Linton and Earnshaw families, he takes what he wants and does as he desires. Nothing will stop him from avenging himself and his beloved, nor from finally reuniting with his soulmate once more.

And there you have it, that is why I think this song is a perfect companion piece to Wuthering Heights. When applied in this perspective, “Sick of Losing Soulmates” is able to place the element of love in the forefront of people’s minds when reading this story. The nuances of the concept of soulmates start to come out in every thought and interaction between Heathcliff and Catherine. Being able to focus in on a given theme while reading any piece of work heightens the experience for me and does not allow me to get lost in the flowery language of classic literature. Having this story be morphed into one of pain and loss rather than just a story of vengeance places so much more meaning in every word and feels as if every aspect has its place within the overarching plot. My aim for these novels is to reframe and reignite a spark for these stories, and maybe get some people on the case of other works they have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing. I hope you all found something intriguing in my interpretation, and may even look for your own songs to reimagine your favorite works of art.

-Lauren Lotarski, Blogger.


Lauren Lotarski – Poetry Editor & Copy Editor: Lauren is a sophomore at Lewis University majoring in Psychology and English with a concentration in Literature and Language. She is also employed at the university library. In her free time, she likes to read, draw, knit, and consuming general popular media like movies, TV shows, and video games. Some of her favorite authors are Leigh Bardugo, Charles Dickens, and Neil Gaiman. She hopes to improve upon her writing and knowledge of literature during her time at Lewis and applying it to her future endeavors. 



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